Discussions By Condition: I cannot get a diagnosis.

diarrhea has taken control of my life.. what do i do!?

it would honestly mean the world to me if anyone has advice, i am currently devastated at what is happening

as of these last few weeks my stomach has pretty much been controlling my life and consuming my mind but i'm trying really hard to turn it around. i'm taking these probiotics-it's just like taking a pill full of good bacteria for my stomach so it's all natural stuff that will hopefully get rid of whatever is causing my constant diareah. i have also cut all dairy out of my diet and i am trying to eat a lot of fiber. i went out and bought lactaid chocolate ice cream and it tastes just like regular ice cream so i feel kinda skeptical.. but i guess i'll find out soon if i should be or not.

to give a little more background information... for the last few months pretty much all of my bowel movements have been loose, either diarrhea or even worse... the runs. i'll admit that i was eating tons of dairy, mostly cheese and ice cream. it's been about a week and a half since i've had any dairy but still everytime i go to the bathroom it's loose or runny. i know this could all be stress induced because i have been under a lot of stress lately (exam week, traveling for two weeks, finding new roommates, my best friend moving). but i read that stress shouldn't ultimately always cause diarrhea.

the reason i say that diarrhea has taken control of my life is because it is given me this fear that anytime i leave my apartment i won't be able to find a bathroom close enough if i have an urgent episode. i have also gained the fear that i will have to go urgently when i am with a group of people. i don't want them to know and i also don't want to have to keep leaving (seeing as thought i usually go up to 4 times within the hour my loose stools begin). i also quit my job because of this happening while at work. i was highly embarrassed and felt like a complete failure walking away. i felt like it wasn't my choice to leave, and that it was my stomachs choice.

i need some words of encouragement, my confidence and self esteem are seriously shot. i am a 20 year old college student who should be getting out there and having fun but it's like everytime i start to get in a great mood again, i'll think "oh this isn't so bad it kinda forces me to be healthy and i'll probably loose weight and i'm sure i can find alternatives for stuff i can't eat...." and i'll go a few days thinking this and i'll get really encouraged because i feel great about myself and i just know that there's no i'll have diarrhea since i've eaten so healthy and well. But then all of a sudden it'll happen again and it feels like i did all that work for no reason. i feel so trapped and like i have no control over my body!! and i'm supposed to start school and work in two weeks and if this is going to happen everytime i'm nervous then i'm just screwed.

8 Replies:

Hi there, Diarrhea is the worst. However, I had some good results using Chinese medicine to control my Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I would recommend seeing a chinese herbalist/acupuncturist if you can. They should be able to give you dietary guidance and perscribe herbs so that you can get on with your life. The dairy changes you have made so far are great. You may also find it easier on the intestines to avoid raw fruits and veggies and especially fake sugars if you eat that kind of thing. Cooked veggies and warm foods are easier on your digestion. If your stomach hurts eating some ginger or drinking it as a tea often will help. Other foods that are can comonly cause problems are soy, nuts and seafood. No fun huh. To figure out if any of these might be triggers for you, you might consider keeping a food journal and recording what you eat and how your digestion goes. If you do this for a week or more hopefully some patterns will become clear. I would also encourage you to consider taking some kind of electrolytes like emergen-C. This wont directly address the bowel problem, but with diarrhea that often it is easy to get dehydrated and nutrient depleted. The powders like this are easier to digest than a vitamin tablet and will prevent other health stuff that might develop out of this. Best wishes.

I agree with you 100%. I have had the same problem for 2 years now. And now my fear has come true, I can't go some place, because I DON'T make it to the bathroom. I have tried the probiotics, no success. I saw a dr., and he ran some tests, and told me he thought it was dairy, but that didn't help either. I go back to see him in May.

I have had the same issue for 15 years...Immodiam 2 times a week 12-20 tabs, just to get out the door to work...also have had issues on the way to work, and sometimes having a mess and going back home to change...it is VERY embarrasing and stressful...I really know what you mean...and then about a year ago, all my meds started reacting with my system, and finally discovered that he generics were causing some of this...then many more symptoms that comfused my doctor ...then just a couple months ago, I ate a huge portion of french bread and discovered the problem....GLUTEN... so my sugestion to you, is to.check this out....google Celiac or gluten problems first before you adjust your diet...Celiac, which is th most severe of the gluten issues, is genetic and lifelong diet change...the other levels are not genetic and you can grow out of them in a few years...either way, the treatment is 100% gluten free diet...there is no other treatment.... or RX for this....if you want to be tested to see if the Celiac is your problem, you need to keep eaing the gluten until your test, or you will get a negative test...I hope this helps you, and others that are going thru this....

first, yes, go to gastro.. c/be serious. orgluron prob.. easy. but see dr asapnext.... Get DEPENDS. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY LIFE SAVORS.. CARRY A FEWIN PURSE A D OR BRIEF CASE/BACK PACK.NOW, GET TO THE DR. DONT WAIT,DONT WALK......... RUN!good luck!

I had long-term chronic diarrhea for a few years and went to a Chinese acupuncturist/herbalist. I'd suggest you find a good practitioner that can treat you with herbs. It took a while, but I got better.Also, find out if you are gluten intolerant as that can cause diarrhea. In lieu of getting tested, stop eating carbohydrates, most particularly bread which can contain bromates. I've had metabolic testing and it shows an inability to process carbohydrates and found out that when I stopped eating all carbs, even complex carbs, I had no problems with my stomach.Another source of danger are GMOs, so make sure you are not eating foods that have genetically modified organisms in them. If you are unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, Google GMO's, but here is one link http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangersI'd also rent Jeffrey Smith's documentary on genetic modification and its dangers. It's called: Genetic Roulette-the movieGenetically modified foods are not labeled and you will need to learn what ingredients contain them. Anything with corn, soy and canola oils or beet sugar (which is never labeled as such) needs to be eliminated. Additionally, there are ingredients that you'd never know what they are that contain GMOs, here is a list to identify them. http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/invisible-gm-ingredients.htmlWhen taking probiotics, make sure you do so on an empty stomach and wait at least a half an hour to 45 minutes before eating a meal, Otherwise the benefits may be destroyed by the food.Best of luck.

Best advice go to a gastroenterologist and have him run some tests. It could be just about anything. It could be serious or something simple. If you don't want to be running off to your gastro doc, you could first just go to to any urgent care center or walk into your student health center,. tell the doc you think you have pin worms and ask for a Rx drug called MEBENDAZOLE. If you rule out internal parasites, then look at other options, food, diet changes, etc... But if it is sudden onset in the past few months with no previous history, and without new foods or other major changes, my guess is it could be something as simple as pinworms or internal parasites of some kind, which is common in school settings but is simple to cure with a few Rx mebendazole pills. But really, go to a gastro doc